Emperor of the Eight Islands

As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly.

Autumn Princess, Dragon Child: The Tale of the Shikanoko, Book 2

An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country.

Lord of the Darkwood: The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 3

A self-assured warrior stumbles into a game of Go that turns fatal. An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country.

The Tengu's Game of Go: The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 4

The rightful emperor is lost to the world, further from the throne than ever before. The lord of the usurper clan has fallen ill, and further unrest looms. Shikanoko has withdrawn to the farthest reaches of the country, leaving his allies stranded and the Spider Tribe unchecked. Lakes are drying up, rivers receding - have the powers of Heaven abandoned the Eight Islands?

The Initiate Brother: The Initiate Brother Series, Book 1

Plague and warfare have swept across the Orient, ravaging the ancient kingdom of Wa, devastating the royal line, and leaving a new dynasty on the throne—a new emperor, Akantsu, filled with fear of all who might seek to wrest the empire from his grasp. Among those out of favor with the new liege is the Order of the Botahist Monks, whose mystical powers have enabled them to hold positions as spiritual advisors to the imperial court for nearly ten centuries.

Blossoms and Shadows

Japan, 1857. For centuries, Japan has been on its own; isolated by choice from the rest of the world. But the Western powers are now at its shores, demanding to be let in; the government is crumbling, and revolution is building. The age of the samurai is ending and in its place a new Japan will be born. And a young woman is readying herself for marriage in this, the most tumultuous period of her nation's history.

Mary Catherine says:"Not for anyone that liked the Tales of the Otori"

Shogun: The Epic Novel of Japan: The Asian Saga, Book 1

A bold English adventurer; an invincible Japanese warlord; a beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love - all brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power.

Cloud of Sparrows

In 1861, foreign ships have forced open Japan's doors to the West. Missionaries have come to Japan; they are there to save men's souls, but to the Japanese they are there to spread false religion. The young Lord Genji, who possesses the power of prophecy, flees to the Cloud of Sparrows castle, where he shelters two American missionaries. Together with a legendary swordsman and an enigmatic geisha, they embark on a harrowing journey through a dangerous landscape to prepare for a final battle.

Voice of Mars: Starship's Mage, Book 3

When accusations of piracy and mass murder are laid against his homeworld, Damien Montgomery is sent to resolve the crisis. As counteraccusations fly and an old flame reenters his life, the newest Hand of the Mage-King of Mars finds himself in the midst of a bloody interstellar shadow war. With the death toll mounting, Damien must decide whether he should trust the world he came from - or the world that asked for his help. The wrong choice will trigger a civil war that could shatter human civilization. No pressure.

Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter

In an ancient Japan where the incursions of gods, ghosts, and demons into the living world is an everyday event, an impoverished nobleman named Yamada no Goji makes his living as a demon hunter for hire. With the occasional assistance of the reprobate exorcist Kenji, whatever the difficulty - ogres, demons, fox-spirits - for a price Yamada will do what needs to be done, even and especially if the solution to the problem isn’t as simple as the edge of a sword.

Jade Dragon Mountain: A Novel

Li Du was an imperial librarian. Now he is an exile. Arriving in Dayan, the last Chinese town before the Tibetan border, he is surprised to find it teeming with travelers, soldiers, and merchants. All have come for a spectacle unprecedented in this remote province: an eclipse of the sun commanded by the emperor himself. When a Jesuit astronomer is found murdered in the home of the local magistrate, blame is hastily placed on Tibetan bandits. But Li Du suspects this was no random killing.

The Iris Fan: A Novel of Feudal Japan

Japan, 1709. Amid the ever-treacherous intrigue in the court, Sano Ichiro has been demoted from chamberlain to a lowly patrol guard. His relationship with his wife Reiko is in tatters, and a bizarre new alliance between his two enemies Yanagisawa and Lord Ienobu has left him puzzled and wary. Then a harrowing, almost inconceivable crime takes place. In his own palace, the shogun is stabbed with a fan made of painted silk with sharp-pointed iron ribs.

Awaken Online: Catharsis

Jason logs into Awaken Online fed-up with reality. He's in desperate need of an escape, and this game is his ticket to finally feeling the type of power and freedom that are so sorely lacking in his real life. Awaken Online is a brand new virtual reality game that just hit the market, promising an unprecedented level of immersion. Yet Jason quickly finds himself pushed down a path he didn't expect. In this game, he isn't the hero. There are no damsels to save. There are no bad guys to vanquish.

Alien Arcana: Starship's Mage Series, Book 4

When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes. His investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.

Reign of Madness: King's Dark Tidings, Book 2

Equipped with skills far beyond those of the outworlders, Rezkin has been suddenly thrust into a foreign world. The young warrior clings to his only known purpose as he continues his search for any information about his identity and the reason for his existence. While the hardened warrior scorns both dueling and tournaments, he believes some of the answers he seeks may be found at the King's Tournament, the greatest dueling championship in all of the kingdoms.

Free the Darkness: King's Dark Tidings, Book 1

Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows. With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.

The Cycle of Arawn: The Complete Trilogy

The White Tree (book one): In Mallon the dark magic of the nether has been banned for centuries. Its users have been driven out or killed. Its secrets lost. But the holy book of the nethermancers has just been found by a boy named Dante. As he works to unlock the book's power, he's attacked in the street. The nethermancers aren't gone—and they want their book back. Caught between death cultists and the law, Dante fights for his life, aided by his growing skills and a brash bodyguard named Blays.

Dawn of Wonder: The Wakening, Book 1

When a high-ranking officer gallops into the quiet Mistyvales, he brings a warning that shakes the countryfolk to their roots. But for Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems. The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, leading him to the gates of the nation's royal academy - a whole world of secrets in itself. But this is only the beginning of his discoveries.

Black Sun: Phantom Server Trilogy, Book 3

Zander and his gamer friends used to face danger without fear, finding strength in the promise of a safe respawn. Nothing could harm or destroy them. This was only a game...or was it? A game, played in an ancient hyperspace network. A game involving dozens of real-life alien civilizations. Earth is deserted. The fate of humanity is unknown.

A fantasy anthology featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. Blackguards consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times best sellers. If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells, this one's for you.

The Dragons of Dorcastle: The Pillars of Reality, Book 1

The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of Dematr behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.

The Obelisk Gate: The Broken Earth, Book 2

This is the way the world ends, for the last time. The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night. Essun - once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger - has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever. Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power - and her choices will break the world.

Gatherer of Clouds: The Initiate Brother Series, Book 2

As the plum blossom winds herald spring in the Empire of Wa, Initiate Brother Shuyun, spiritual advisor to Lord Shonto, the military governor of the northernmost province of Seh, receives a shocking message from the barbarian lands. The massive army of the Golden Khan is poised at their border. Forced to retreat south, Lord Shonto is caught between the pursuing barbarian hordes and his own hostile emperor’s Imperial Army.

Publisher's Summary

In the final installment of the Tales of the Otori, the young Takeo meets his destiny, fulfilling the prophesy: "You were born into the Hidden, but your life...is no longer your own."

The stage is set: Takeo and his new bride Kaede are on the brink of starting a war to reclaim the lands that are her rightful claim by birth, with a thousand loyal warriors by their side. But much more is at stake, with Takeo sworn to avenge the death of his adoptive father. Kaede, a not-at-all helpless damsel, has also cast a first stone by renouncing the powerful Lord Fujiwara, who considers her his first wife.

An imaginary feudal Japan is vividly reconstructed in this magical tale filled with clan rivalries, supernatural powers, shadowy tribes, and true love. Lian Hearn's epic fantasy of a conflict-ridden, mystical world has enraptured fans around the world, thanks to many complex mysteries, fascinating characters, and a riveting buildup to the dazzling finale.

I enjoyed the Tales of the Otori trilogy. The story has good pacing, interesting characters, and just a bit of magic that doesn't put it too far into the fantasy genre.

Of the three books, I thought the last, Brilliance of the Moon, was the weakest. Good action to be sure, but the book tried to cover too much ground. There was some plot resolution by Deus Ex Machina. Perhaps my preference for the first book is that I first learn about a strange new world and characters that live larger than life. By the third book, it's less about showing us this strange world and more about tying up loose ends.

This was a very entertaining trilogy which was surprisingly engaging. After listening to the first two audio books, I had been anticipating the release of the third book so much that I just had to buy the hardcover book a couple of months ago on the day it was released. The current book uses the same male and female narrators as before, who do an excellent job. While I believe that this is an essential book to tie up the story, I agree with the previous reviewer that it did not quite have the charm and quality of the first two. Some of the action in the last half of the book seemed very abridged, as though the author simply got tired of writing. As part of the trilogy it might deserve 4 stars, but not standing on its own. Even with its shortcomings, I highly recommend it.

I loved this trilogy, but this last volume--still quite good--wasn't quite up to the first two. To me the basic conception was fine, but as the volume drew to an end the story felt more like a short and bare outline, without the developed detail and atmosphere that makes the earlier books so special. A publisher's deadline?

If you read the first two you don't need a review to want to read the conclusion. Read it. Just temper your expectations a little.

I listened to the entire series read by Kevin Grey and Aiko Nakasone. Kevin Grey did an amazing job, taking on a story with amazing depth and subtext. Aiko Nakasone left too much to be desired. She makes countless errors in her pronunciation and strains every sentence into the same painful cadence. Passages like "I could not stop weeping" and "She sat with her feet in the cool water" were read in exactly the same tone and rhythm. This series is one of the best pieces of fiction I have read in years. Read the books if you can. Or at least the chapters read by Aiko Nakasone, whose japanese accent is a novelty, which clutters the execution of this audio book.

Would you try another book from Lian Hearn and/or Kevin Gray and Aiko Nakasone ?

I'm not so sure I'd try another book from Lian Hearn after hearing this trilogy. His writing consists of many scenes TOLD, not SHOWN which makes for some very dull scenes. I really enjoyed the two narrators, however. Their perfect Japanese vocal inflections and tone made for an involving and realistic glimpse into the ancient Japanese world.

If you’ve listened to books by Lian Hearn before, how does this one compare?

I listened to the first and second books in this trilogy and I thought this one compared favorably after a very slow start.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I would definitely go to see this as a movie. It is written in a very cinematic way---very

Any additional comments?

Too much of this trilogy, especially in this third book, is just told. When important scenes and character development is merely told to the reader and not shown, it makes for some pretty slow and dull reading/listening. Still, there were moments of excitment and some very good characters and relationships that kept me listening. My favorite part of the books, however, was the beautifully done insight into the manners, ways, and perceptions of these people during that time. I loved their intense relationship with nature and the world around them as well as the deep, quiet moments of time that they appreciated.

I'm not sure about the writing as others have wanted to diminish, what I do know is that I didn't want the story to end and enjoyed all three books. It allowed me to escape into another world which after the first book was palpable and by the 3rd book was a place I knew intimately. I look forward to other books by the author as well as other books by the narrators, I thought they were excellent too.

This book is really good! I went through all three in a matter of days! The second one is a bit slow at times but this one definitly makes up for that. There is much more action in this book than the other two, but I felt it was done very well.

...I could do without the detailed and graphic descriptions of the sexual liasons between the main characters. Seemed like low-brow pandering to me. It added nothing to the story, and deleting it would not diminish the story in any way. In fact, I found myself becoming annoyed with these constant detours and fast-forwarding over them to get back to the actual story line about the strategies and battles.